Collin Murray-Boyles has turned heads early in camp, and not just because the Raptors made him the ninth pick in the 2025 draft. After a roller-coaster rookie season, the big man has come back looking noticeably lighter, and Toronto’s brass is making sure the work shows up on the court.
General manager Bobby Webster called him a “lean, mean, fighting machine,” while head coach Darko Rajakovic said the physical change is obvious.
“ I do see the change in his body,” Rajakovic said. “ He’s [leaner], he’s a little bit more explosive, and he’s doing a great job.”
Murray-Boyles said he got there by taking up long-distance running and has dropped a “significant” amount of weight. Rajakovic likes the added burst, but he also wants to protect the edge that made Murray-Boyles such an intriguing prospect in the first place. His ability to play both the four and the five remains a “work in progress,” according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange (via Twitter), and the staff wants him playing with force no matter where he lines up.
Toronto’s preseason opener also gave a look at what the rotation may look like without Kawhi Leonard. The new Raptors wing sat out the game in Quebec City, which was expected, per Grange (Twitter link), and he is likely to miss the next one in Vancouver as he continues building up his conditioning after the offseason.
Scottie Barnes made his preseason debut count in a short burst, posting 11 points, two assists, two rebounds, and three steals in 12 minutes. He also took a bumped knee in the first half, which may have played a part in the decision to shut him down for the rest of the game, per Lewenberg (via Twitter). Rajakovic said the move was precautionary.
The loss to the new-look Heat left more questions on offense than on defense. Grange noted that the issue wasn’t Toronto’s effort against a Miami group led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the scoring punch outside Barnes and RJ Barrett. With Leonard unavailable, the Raptors need more from the rest of the roster, especially the guards.
Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter combined for just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting in the first half. Quickley is expected to be a major piece in keeping Toronto’s offense balanced, and Walter may need to shoulder a bigger load when Leonard is out.
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Leonard, for his part, has started talking more about the basketball side of the move, saying his focus is on learning the team and settling back into a veteran role. For Toronto, it is a familiar and welcome storyline, but it also leaves plenty of the larger Clippers questions hanging in the background, especially with the leagues investigation still shaping how this chapter gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhis Raptors Return Creates One Big Question For Darkos Offense
Kawhi Leonards return gives Toronto a very different kind of offensive anchor, and Darko Rajakovic is already sorting through how that changes the Raptors flow. The head coach has pointed to Leonards offensive gravity as the obvious draw, the kind of presence that can bend defenses and open cleaner looks for everyone else, while still allowing the group to keep its pace and transition identity when he is not on the floor.
Rajakovic also made clear this is not an instant plug-and-play situation, even with Leonard back in familiar territory. He is still working his way into the roster and into the environment around him, and the early task for Toronto is figuring out how to blend a superstars shot-making with the rhythm the team has been building, all while keeping enough flexibility in the rotation to let the fit settle in naturally. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Murray-Boyles Could Decide How Far The Raptors Really Go
Collin Murray-Boyles has already given the Raptors a useful glimpse of why they were intrigued by him in the first place. As a rookie, he showed the kind of defensive versatility Toronto has long valued, while also flashing enough offensive promise to suggest there is more to come. The bigger question now is how quickly that two-way profile can grow into something the Raptors can count on when the games start to matter most.
This summer, the early signs around his development have been encouraging, and Darko Rajakovic has pointed to both Murray-Boyles work ethic and the importance of letting his game expand at a measured pace. Toronto does not need him to be finished today, but it does need progress in the right places if he is going to become the sort of contributor who changes the ceiling of the roster. For a team trying to climb in the East, his next step may end up telling the story of how far this group can really go. [Read more 🡒]